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For Pep Guardiola, in pursuit of something close to football perfection, nights like these must usher those black clouds across his restless mind.

How can his team dominate 85 minutes of a game and spend the last five plus the four added on defending for their lives to win the damn thing?

Manchester City were sailing for most of the evening, a team chasing their manager’s vision of total control at a stadium where they scored 11 goals over the previous two seasons, and at times it was enough for Watford simply to keep them at bay.

Yet when Abdoulaye Doucoure forced in his side’s only goal in the 85th minute the serenity of the game was suddenly transformed into a thundering old-fashioned English shoot-out as Watford went full throttle for an equaliser.

When Guardiola settled in to his seat afterwards one wondered whether he would agonise over the two chances that Gabriel Jesus missed to extend the lead given to his team by Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez either side of half-time.

But the City manager was at peace with this performance, recalling other days when his team had to win in the last minute and comparing this as a similar experience, when his team had to defend at the death.

He said that other teams would take note of the way that City fought for the win, with Aymeric Laporte sent on to firm up the defence, the centre-half having been left on the bench for the first time in 19 Premier League and Champions League games.

“We spoke in the dressing room that we have to learn about what happened in the last 25 minutes,” Guardiola said. “That is the lesson. You never can forget to play. Until the referee decides to go home you can never forget to play.”

It would be unfair to overlook the level of City’s dominance for most of this game against a club that for the last two seasons has beaten the reigning champions at Vicarage Road.

This was an occasion when Guardiola chose to rest Raheem Sterling. Nevertheless, Watford’s outstanding player was goalkeeper Ben Foster who kept City out for most of the first half and came up for attacking corners in those last few frantic minutes.

Looking back on the game, Javier Gracia conceded that his goalkeeper had been integral. “Ben Foster was great, it is no surprise to me,” Gracia said. “When I came to London I thought Big Ben was in the city but no, he is in Watford, for us.”

For much of this game Foster got knee, elbow and glove in the way of the ball when it must have felt – at times – as if it was him on his own.

By the end of the night City were five points clear of Liverpool ahead of their corresponding fixture against Burnley on Wednesday, and the champions have an absurd goal difference of +38 which has not been bettered at this stage of the season since the days when Sunderland were a 19th century superpower.

Guardiola said that Jesus’ contribution had been greater than just the expectation on him to score goals. “It is important is that he had the chances,” Guardiola said. “The second goal he created. I try as a manager [to bear in mind] if a striker doesn’t score goals he does many, many other things in terms of the pressing; in terms of helping in many, many situations.”

If Troy Deeney’s shot had beaten Ederson on 32 minutes then it might well have been different, but probably not. Roberto Pereyra had made a break through the City line earlier and his shot had been wide of the goal.

Big moments like those needed to go Watford’s way and needless to say City had many more, squeezing the home team back with about 70 per cent of the ball.

Doucoure forces the ball home for Watford with five minutes leftCredit:
BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

The first goal came when Sane darted in front of Kiko Femenia to push the ball in with his chest from Mahrez’s cross, with Foster finally helpless.

Mahrez’s goal with five minutes of the second half played, from Jesus’s cross, meant that any plans Watford entertained to force their way back into the match were drifting away into the damp night air until their late comeback.

The Watford goal came when Fabian Delph ignored the basics and gave the ball away in the midfield to substitute Gerard Deulofeu. His cross was eventually forced over the line by Doucoure to galvanise Watford for a final push.

Guardiola was asked later about the possibility of an investigation by Uefa into the Football Leaks allegations made by Der Spiegel that could see major sanctions against his club.

“Uefa is doing what it is doing,” he said, “and if he [sic] finds something the club will make a statement. I’d like to do that so we will know exactly when we are going to finish with the voices. If we did something regular we will know it. If we didn’t do something regular, the people will finish talking about it so we will have to wait.”

He added that he trusted the club “and if something is wrong they are going to tell us”. As for whether it was affecting his players, Guardiola responded with a chuckle.

Certainly he is keeping up his part of it, and perhaps only Uefa with its power to eject a club from competition, are the only major barrier currently in City’s path.

Tonight's Premier League results

Here's the table

Full time

City survive a frantic final 10 minutes of regulation and additional time that threatened to steal a point after 80+ minutes of City dominance. But they held on and open up a five-point lead above Liverpool at the top of the table.

90+3 min

City work it away but Watford chase it back to halfway and launch it back into the City box and Doucoure is block tackled as he tries to pounce on the route one ball. Another corner but there's a foul by Watford.

90+2 min

90 min

City substitution - Gabriel Jesus, who virtually crawls off, is replaced by Laporte. A minute later Ederson is booked for time wasting and the referee will extend the four minutes he was already minded to add on.

89 min

City are rattled at the back momentarily as Deulofeu breaks free down the right and bounds into the box. He hesitates, takes a touch too many and instead of pinging in a cross for Gray, floats it on to the roof of the net.

88 min

Big chance for Deeney on the end of a cross in from the left. He tries to arc his header over Ederson, having won it virtually unopposed and craned his neck to steer it. But he spoons it straight at Ederson.

86 min

Mistake from Delph in the left-back position is picked off by Deulofeu who speeds away from him and fizzes a cross to the near post. Gray tries to turn it in, connects smartly but Ederson blocks and the ball bounces over to the left. Doucoure tries to hook it in, Walker throws himself at a block and succeeds in stopping the goal initially but knocks it back to Doucoure who forces it in from a yard.

77 min

75 min

Watford carve out another opening when Deeney links up with Doucoure and lays it off to the midfielder on the left of the box after beating Kompany. Doucoure ignores Deeney's request for a return and scuffs a daisycutter shot that Ederson dives forward to gather.

73 min

City substitution: Ilkay Gundogan replaces David Silva. Robbie Savage is delighted by the boldness of Ederson, Kompany and Stones who pass the ball around their six-yard box despite the pressure of Deulofeu's harrying.

70 min

Gabriel Jesus belts down the left on to Mahrez's fantastic 20-yard precision pass. His speed takes him away from Kiko and Cathcart but Foster is alert and races out so the striker goes for the chip and spears it wide. Running at top pace seemed to prevent him from applying a softer touch.

68 min

Inadvertent back-header from Kompany 10 yards inside his own half glances the ball behind him and towards Success down the inside-right. Deeney yells for the pass but Success takes it on, not first time, and wastes time with a touch that is too heavy and makes him snatch at a half-volley and send it miles over.

66 min

Miss from Bernardo at the near post when he pounced on to a headed clearance from a corner that was directed into the ground and sat up seductively. He had time that he didn't use and pulled a half-volley about two yards wide.

64 min

63 min

Mahrez's shot hit Kabasele's hand, the replay shows, and should have been a penalty according to former ref and BT Sport referee-watcher Peter Walton. Perhaps that was why Guardiola tossed his handkerchief.

61 min

Fernandinho curls a right-foot pass from the centre circle out to Mahrez who pounds in from the right to receive it. He faces up Cathcart, dips his right shoulder, then his left to try to throw him off then whips a shot that cannons into Kabasele and arcs just wide of the far post as Foster scrambled back and to his right before he was satisfied it was missing. On the bench Guardiola throws down his hankie in disgust and with sovereign contempt.

55 min

53 min

Another slick move with designs on beauty. Success loses the ball on the right, David Silva wins it and sprays a one-two down the left for Gabriel Jesus who gallops into the box and sweeps a left-foot cross through the box for Mahrez at the far post. He takes it on the volley on his left and hammers home a shot that leaves Foster off balance and thoroughly helpless.

Other half-times

Half-time

Very difficult to compete with City when they are playing with such verve and swarming forward in wave after wave of attacks. Were it not for Ben Foster's four excellent saves Watford would be trounced already but instead they had a great chance to take a 1-0 lead when Doucoure set up Deeney who squandered it. "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." Poor Troy.

45+1 min

45 min

Mahrez twists Holebas's plasma with a pirouette at full pelt as both chased a ball up the right. He trapped the ball with his studs, turned and spun it the other way and all Holabas could do was slide through him as he was disoriented by the skill. Free kick on the right, about a yard in from touch.

43 min

It's all City again - Bernardo, David Silva and Mahrez tearing Watford apart down the left side of their defence. Mahrez takes it into the box, Sane, who has kept pace with him all the way is free at the back post, but Mahrez takes it too far and is forced to try to shoot from an outrageous angle and fails. Sane would have had a tap in as Foster scrambled from post to post.

41 min

It's been coming. Mahrez bends an inswinger from the right with his left foot for Gabriel Jesus, David Silva and Sane who had peeled off round the back. Foster makes a starfish save. The ball squirts back over to the right and the attacjk regroups. Mahrez tiptoes out of the box to the 18-yard line then chips a similar cross and Sane, again peeling off his marker, meets it five yards out and chests it past Foster.

GOAL!!

38 min

Another City thrust up the right with Walker, Bernardo and Mahrez working quick triangles before one sweeps a short pass to David Silva who clips an up and under over Holebas for Bernardo's run ... but he was caught offside.

35 min

33 min

Deeney misses from 12 yards! A chance set up by Doucoure's unorthodox overhead hook falls perfectly for the Watford captain who meets it on the volley and scuds it to the keeper's left. Ederson sticks out a leg to divert it away. He had to score. Someone in the office, not unadjacent to this seat, shouted a profanity in frustration at such wastefulness. You might only get one shot at the champ and that could have been it.

30 min

David Silva, seemingly playing in chamois slippers, scampers down the inside-left and hits a disguised pass between Cathcart and Femenia for Gabriel Jesus who is by the byline and tries to dribble it round Foster who spraedeagles himself to block the shot when it comes. Cathcart wins the header from the corner and Watford break.

28 min

26 min

Watford's best minute of the match - good interplay from Holebas and Pereyra up the left. the left-back driving into the area and playing a right-foot pass between Kompany and Walker for the left winger who has his back to goal. He turns away, heads out to the right before spinning on to his left foot to lift a cross towards the penalty spot. Kompany wins the first header at the apex of his leap, sending it upwards then Stones wins the second, nodding it 25 yards out. Chalobah takes it down with one touch then, much to the crowd's discomfort, sends a no-look pass out to the left that is picked off by Bernardo Silva.

21 min

19 min

Foster pulls off a triple save from Mahrez then Bernardo then David Silva. David Silva threaded a pass down the inside-right channel, splitting Kabasele and Holebas with expert precision. Out came the keeper and blocks Mahrez's chip with his left hand then stops Bernardo's point-blank drive and when the ball squirms loose he smothers David Silva's attempt to round him.

18 min

16 min

Corner on the right, chipped by Bernardo Silva and headed to David Silva by the D. He clips left-foot ball over the advancing Watford defenders for Sane who is squeezed out of space and settles for a corner.

14 min

City make three probing thrusts forward with slick passes, picking off any Watford mistake. Sane and Mahrez are causing havoc at the back and panic in the stands. Watford are trying to sit in and not press but City continue to get behind the full backs.

11 min

Pereyra plays a dreadful blind square pass across the halfway line that is picked off by Sane who accelerates smoothly and storms into the box, leaving Kabasele and Kiko for dead. Out comes Foster quickly and Sane goes for the dinked chip but the keeper sends up a string hard vertically to slap it away for a corner.

9 min

Excellent from Deeney, using his strength and positioning to hold off all attempts to win it back as he simultaneously guards and dribbles the ball up the left. He then plays the deftest dink over Walker's outstretched leg to play in Pereyra who takes it to the byline, drags it back on to his right foot. a feint that sits Fernandinho on his backside. From an angle of about 150 degrees he hooks his right foot shot round the far post.

7 min

Mahrez's control is sensational, hooking the ball between Holebas's legs and dragging it back with his right but the Watford left-back manages to poke his toe in and stab it on to Mahrez and out for a goalkick.

6 min

4 min

Foster takes the goalkick long up the right and Delph leaps into Deeney, smacking into the Watford captain before he reached the ball. Free kick 40 yards out. Chalobah takes it, spearing a cross to the 18-yard line where Kompany wins the header.

3 min

Holebas shanks a clearance, Sane picks it up 10 yards inside the Watford half, knocks it inside to David Silva and runs into the box for the return. David Silva bends a fine pass with his left foot intended for Sane but Gabriel Jesus gets there first, asserts his right to it over Sane's and slices a half-volley over the bar.

1 min

The teams are in the tunnel

Vincent Kompany, his first start for six weeks, leads out City. Troy Deeney is at the head of the hornets. The Rookery holds up cards to make a vast rainbow in support of LGBT fans and Stonewall's campaign against bigotry.

Pep Guardiola speaks

We are a strong squad. Everybody is fit and ready to play. It's not change for change, they have to be ready. It's game after game every three days it's incredible this month and in January. [Watford] are a top team, always a tough team away and they are having a very good season, always [dangerous] at set pieces.

Six changes for City

Good evening

It has been 29 years and 11 league games since Watford last defeated Manchester City and their chances of doing so tonight at Vicarage Road are, those spoofers who tell us it matters more when you’ve got money on it, so far over to none than slim is feeling as isolated as the Prime Minister. Topical tripe? You’ve come to the right place.

City, the unbeaten Premier League leaders, have won their last six Premier League games and have not looked remotely rattled domestically since Riyad Mahrez missed that late penalty at Anfield eight weeks ago. They have weathered injuries to Kevin De Bruyne, Benjamin Mendy and Sergio Aguero - as they should have given the scale of their investment over the past decade.

But what Guardiola’s coaching has managed to achieve is that rare quality of consistency despite the requirement to rotate. It is all very well having a shedload of dazzling talents, bonding them to a common purpose, educating them in their roles and responsibilities and equipping them with the confidence to play with dash and creative courage is the reason he deserves all the praise.

Watford began with four successive victories, including that defeat of Tottenham when their guile and attacking flair caught Spurs cold, but have taken only one point from their last four games. When they lost 4-0 at home to Bournemouth back at the beginning of October, it seemed that that early promise had dissipated and they had regressed to confirm the doubts of those who had them as relegation fodder in their pre-season predictions.

Yet then, bristling with conviction, the 'Orns pulled off a victory that was almost tactically flawless at Wolves and walloped Huddersfield before entering this current slump.

At the VicCredit:
Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Javi Gracia is a 4-4-2 man to his core and one suspects he will adhere to it, this being an opportunity to shoot the moon with no consequences for falling short. He will be without Etienne Capoue after Saturday’s red card, so the midfield four - Pereyra, Hughes, Doucoure and Capoue - that were so instrumental in their victories at the start of the season will need a shake-up.